Wednesday, August 01, 2012

"If a grassroots group like ours couldn’t qualify this initiative for a statewide ballot, I don’t think it can be done." - David Irvine, Utahns For Ethical Government attorney

Devastating news for supporters of the UEG citizens ethics reform initiative the morning, as the Salt Lake Tribune reports that the Utah Supreme Court has ruled in favor of corrupt business as usual in Utah government, and aids and abets the state legislature in making a mockery of the provision
in the state Constitution that enshrines the right of the people to
propose, adopt and repeal laws. Here's the gist:

The Utah Supreme Court tossed a bid by Utahns For Ethical Government to get their rigorous ethics initiative on the November ballot, apparently dooming the effort for this election cycle.

The Court, in a one-paragraph order issued Tuesday, said that the district court should have granted the request by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office to dismiss the lawsuit.

The high court’s decision ends a protracted battle that began in August 2009, pitting the Utah Legislature against a group of former lawmakers and good-government crusaders who argued that the Utah Legislature lacked the necessary ethical guide rails and oversight.

The order, signed by Chief Justice Matthew Durrant, said a full opinion on the case would come later.

"This is a huge disappointment, because the practical effect of the ruling … is that the statewide initiative right written into the [Utah] Constitution has pretty much been erased by statute," said David Irvine, an attorney for Utahns For Ethical Government and former Republican legislator. "We had hundreds of volunteers put thousands of hours into this effort and if a grassroots group like ours couldn’t qualify this initiative for a statewide ballot, I don’t think it can be done."